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BondJames628 Regular user Alabama 110 Posts |
Hello all. I've recently built a Tip Over Trunk. Any ideas on decorating it including paint colors or designs? What about illusions in general. Would you want to paint illusions with bright colors? What colors tend to show depth? Thanks in advance.
Taylor |
George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
Since you asked... you need to look at your act, your style, your persona, and think in terms of what would fit into the mix. A red trunk with circus designs could look very nice but be totally out of place in a "night-club" act. A black trunk might look out of place in a clown act. Likewise, an "antique" trunk could look great in one act but incongruous in another.
Think about your character and ask yourself "What would this guy use?" Then go from there.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
Chezaday Inner circle Naperville, IL 1673 Posts |
Hi Taylor .. first thing to do is paint all the edges and corners in black. This will visually trim the actual size of the box and make it a more amazing illusion. I would say two inches wide because of the size of the box. Then go with contrasting colors for the inner and outer boxes. The idea is you have two separate boxes .... not just one strange looking prop. Don't forget to prime the wood too .. that will make that will make things easier in the long run. Hope that helps ..
Steve |
John Martin Inner circle 1017 Posts |
Hi Taylor,
Go with dragons and oriental characters in red and gold with lots of fringe around the base.....you really don't see much of that theses days!!!!! JUST KIDDING...I have a stack of boxes themed like cardboard boxes and a good friend of mine has a tip over themed like a crate on a wheeled dolly. Just because it's a magic prop/illusion doesn't necessarily mean it HAS to be painted bright colors. I agree, however, with Chezaday that whatever paint scheme you chose, it's important to keep it deceptive. Check out the Magic Auction site at the end of page one of "illusion builder known" for inspiration on how you could theme such an illusion. All the best, John |
Frank Simpson Special user SW Montana 883 Posts |
George is absolutely correct. Asking this type of question in an open forum is sort of like asking all of us what your favorite flavor is. How could we possibly know? Things that we may like, while perfectly valid could be a completely wrong choice for you, your act, and your show.
Chezaday is on the right track, but black is not necessarily the color to use to trim the box. You can get as strong an effect from a dark blue or dark maroon, depending upon what color they are next to. What is important is the use of contrast to create a visual effect. Lighter colors tend to look "bigger" while darker colors tend to make things look "smaller", but only when next to a contrasting color. I once bought a doll house illusion from a friend because he thought it looked HUGE, and it did. The base and its table were painted black, because the thought that that's what would make it look "smaller and deceptive". Fundamentally, since the audience was given only something black to look at, they saw one big black thing. I painted the table portion of the base bright blue and immediately the illusion looked about 300% better. The eye has something to which to be drawn, the table. By contrast the base tends to "recede" or "disappear". To confuse depth for illusions that require it, things like vertical stripes, preferably of varying widths, work well. Other "wild" patterns also work when they draw the eye from the "lines" of the box itself. In the case of a tipover trunk, a bright color or design is a good idea, since you want to draw attention to the emptiness of the box. If its painted black it will just look like you're trying to hide something. I would recommend finding books or articles on color theory. Books that have nothing to do with "magic". Books on Graphic Design, and/or the psychology of color. there are no "easy" answers, and it will require study and knowledge of many different principles working together to accomplish the desired effect(s). This type of knowledge is a part of why builders like Johnny Gaughan and Bill Smith and David Mendoza (to mention but a few) are at the top of their craft. They are not merely good carpenters, they understand ALL of the necessary elements of good illusion and design. Study hard and make us all proud! |
George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
On the subject of black, Forever Plaid just hit a nail on the head. There's nothing magical about black. Semantics aside ("black is not a color -- it's the absence of color"), black is a very strong, intense color. There's an old, common, and erroneous idea in theater that says, "Paint it black and nobody will see it." The concept of black against black works in black art, but, usually, something painted black on a stage looks just like what it is: an object painted black, and this is exactly how an audience will perceive it.
All of which means that painting something black is a design choice, just like using any other color. Either it's a good choice for a specific use, or it's a bad choice. It's all still based on what the object is, what it looks like, and how it fits into the context of its environment. I used to joke that if black really made things invisible, the CIA and the old KGB would be the only ones in the world with the formula. Maybe the Mossad.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
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